Feeling alienated and lonely Ryan William Potts turned to online forums, sending and receiving child abuse material.
"Some of it was images, videos and pictures. Some of it was written material - all of it was vile," Judge Michael Byrne said in Brisbane District Court on Friday.
Potts, 27, was visibly distressed as confronting details of his offending from December 2019 and October 2021 were read out in court.
The material was mostly of prepubescent children with at least one image of an infant about six months old.
In total, Potts was caught with more than 100 child abuse files, pictures and images.
"He was ... an enthusiastic participant," Judge Byrne said.
Despite being from a "good family" Potts - diagnosed with autism - felt isolated when he sought out the online forums, the court was told.
"He didn't have that closer network that he now knows that he has," his defence barrister said.
"These offences occurred in a context of loneliness, detachment from the wider community and that's how it happened."
Reports by two psychologists demonstrated Potts had developed insight and consistently expressed remorse.
He has found someone “prepared to stand by him through this trauma".
"In that sense Mr Potts you are a very lucky man to have support even though you admit to this sort of vile conduct," Judge Byrne said.
Potts pleaded guilty to eight offences including three counts of using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material and was sentenced to three years in jail on Thursday.
After serving 16 months, Potts will be released on a four-year good behaviour bond and two years' probation on strict conditions.
As a reportable offender he must keep police informed of his whereabouts for five years after being released.
"One of the most important features of this type of offending is that the welfare of children is paramount," Judge Byrne told Potts.
"These children may not have physically been in a room with you but they were real children - your conduct contributed to the harm they experienced."
